RADIO FREQUENCY FRONT-END MODULE WITH EMBEDDED CIRCULATORS
The disclosure provides a design of integrating a ferrite-based circulator within the surface mount device (SMD) package for an RF front-end module. The ferrite-based circulator serves as a duplexer. The front-end module contains all relevant transmitting/receiving (T/R) functions within a small footprint having significant power handling. The disclosed front-end module can be interfaced with Analog-to-Digital and Digital-to-Analog converters.
1 . A surface mounting device for transmitting or receiving signals from one or more antennas, the surface mounting device comprising:
one or more circulators embedded within a laminated circuit board, the one or more circulators coupled to the one or more antennas and serving as duplexers,
one or more magnets attached to a first mounting surface of the laminated circuit board;
one or more radio frequency (RF) amplifiers coupled between the one or more circulators and one or more transmitters,
one or more circuit components coupled between the one or more circulators and one or more receivers; and
ball grid array (BGA) solder balls on a second mounting surface of the laminated circuit board, the second mounting surface being opposite to the first mounting surface.
2 . The surface mounting device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more RF amplifiers are attached to the first mounting surface or embedded within the laminated circuit board.
3 . The surface mounting device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more RF amplifiers comprise power amplifier and/or driver amplifier.
4 . The surface mounting device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more circuit components are attached to the first mounting surface or embedded within the laminated circuit board.
5 . The surface mounting device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more circuit components comprise a low noise amplifier and/or limiter.
6 . The surface mounting device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more magnets comprise one of Ceramic magnets, Samarium-Cobalt (SmCo) magnets, Aluminum-Nickel-Cobalt (AlNiCo) magnets, or Neodymium-Iron-Boron (NdFeB) magnets.
7 . The surface mounting device of claim 1 , further comprising one or more RF connectors attached to the first mounting surface of the laminated circuit board and configured to receive signals or transmit signals from the one or more antennas.
8 . The surface mounting device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more circulators comprise single junction circulators.
9 . The surface mounting device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more circulators comprise stacked double junction circulators.
10 . The surface mounting device of claim 9 , further comprising a termination feature.
11 . The surface mounting device of claim 10 , wherein the termination feature is embedded within the laminated circuit board.
12 . The surface mounting device of claim 10 , wherein the termination feature is mounted on the first mounting surface of the laminated circuit board.
13 . The surface mounting device of claim 1 , wherein the surface mounting device is a surface mount module on a printed circuit board.
14 . The surface mounting device of claim 1 , wherein the surface mounting device is suitable for radio frequency applications.
15 . The surface mounting device of claim 14 , wherein the radio frequency applications comprise active electronically scanned array (AESA) applications.
16 . A method for fabricating a surface mounting device configured for transmitting or receiving signals from one or more antennas, the method comprising:
embedding one or more circulators within a laminated circuit board comprising a plurality of dielectric layers interleaved with a plurality of conductive layers, the one or more circulators coupled to the one or more antennas and serving as duplexers;
attaching one or more magnets to a first mounting surface of the laminated circuit board;
forming one or more radio frequency (RF) amplifiers coupled between the one or more circulators and one or more transmitters; and
forming one or more circuit components coupled between the one or more circulators and one or more receivers, wherein ball grid array (BGA) solder balls are formed on a second mounting surface of the laminated circuit board opposite to the first mounting surface.
17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising attaching the one or more circuit components to the first mounting surface or embedding the one or more circuit components within the laminated circuit board.
18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising attaching the one or more RF amplifiers to the first mounting surface or embedding the one or more circuit components within the laminated circuit board.
19 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising embedding one or more directional coupler within the laminated circuit board, wherein the one or more directional coupler is coupled between the one or more circulators and the one or more antennas.
20 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising bonding two adjacent dielectric layers using fusion bonding or a liquid resin or prepreg material.